Motor Skill Development

Video Information

- Cones, No Cones?

- Water bottles or Cups

- Chalk

Motor Skill Development:

Speed | Power (Jumping, Leg Strength) | Agility | Balance | Coordination (Eye Hand & Foot) 

Are Gross Motor Skills Important?

What are Gross Motor Skills?

As a definition Motor Skills are actions that involve the movement of muscles in the body. They are divided into two groups: fine motor skills (movements of small muscles) and gross motor skills, which include the larger movements of arms, legs, feet, or the entire body (crawling , running, and jumping).

The six components of motor skills related to fitness are agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time and speed, according to Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Education. A motor skill is associated with muscle activity. You carry out motor skills when your brain, nervous system and muscles work in concert to move parts of your body in large or small maneuvers. Motor skills improve with practice and all six components determine your level of athletic ability.

Why are Gross Motor Skills Important?

Gross motor skills are important for young children to help them develop the muscles they will need to grow. This translates into everyday functions which human beings possess. Such as walking, running, standing up, sitting down, playground skills (e.g. climbing, swinging) and sports skills (e.g. throwing, catching, hitting, etc.) Your gross motor skill development has helped you do everything from waking up in the morning and putting you pants on. Which requires lifting your leg, balancing, and extending your leg back out into the pant leg. 

Without the development of gross motor skills. Children will struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle, complete daily tasks, and basic survival necessities. 

How do Sports Help?

Organized (formal practices & games) or unorganized (informal games, Phoenix Sports), are essential to youth development. This is an excerpt from US National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health:

“Physical activity is fundamental to the early development of each child and affects many aspects of a child's health [1]. Contemporary health organizations propose that higher levels of physical activity in school-aged children are associated with important short- and long-term health benefits in physical, emotional, social, and cognitive domains across the life span [2–4]. As such, it is vital to integrate physical activity into the lives of children and set the foundation in facilitating and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle throughout adulthood.  It has been reported that more than 41 million young children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2014, worldwide [6]. The health implications of physical activity during early childhood cannot be disregarded; therefore, it is warranted to investigate the relationships between physical activity and health outcomes and cognition in early ages.”

Can Phoenix Sports Help?

Yes. Phoenix Sports is an informal program. With our informal sports program, athletes are encouraged to play freely and in a nonjudgmental atmosphere. We encourage and strive to teach great sportsmanship, teamwork, and confidence in oneself and one's peers. We play fun and exciting games that revolve around sports which help promote ways for young children to learn graceful ways to win and to lose. 

Phoenix Sports offers a fun and engaging alternative to formal organized sports. We provide a safe, educational, and fun environment for children to play and interact with each other while learning how to play sports. We help your young athletes learn how to properly develop gross motor skills in a safe atmosphere. 

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